Gospel Explosion with André J Thomas
Joyous. Uplifting. Memorable.
Sunday 5 November 2023 • 7pm
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The Concert
Massed voices
Traditional arr André J Thomas Shout for Joy!
London Symphony Chorus
Alma Bazel Androzzo If I Can Help Somebody
Florence B Price Praise the Lord
Traditional arr André J Thomas Band of Angels
Robert Ray Gospel Mass
Interval
Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
Traditional arr Various Ride On, King Jesus
Andrew Bergthold Holy Water
Peter Yarde Martin Nunc Dimittis
C A Tindley We Shall Overcome
Massed voices
Judith McAllister Hallelujah, You’re Worthy to be Praised
Glenn Burleigh Order My Steps
Donald Lawrence The Best is Yet to Come
Donald Lawrence Encourage Yourself
Ricky Dillard God is Great
Albert Brumley I’ll Fly Away
André J Thomas conductor
Lurine Cato singer
Christian Mark Gibbs singer
NaGuanda Nobles singer
Brandon Boyd piano
David Lawrence chorus director
London Symphony Chorus
LSO Community Voices
Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir
London Symphony Orchestra
The concert will finish at approximately 9.20pm (timings subject to change)
Tickets
£35 £25 £18
+ £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction
Wildcard Tickets
£12/£16 + booking fee as above
Guaranteed entry – your seat will be allocated on the day.
Limited releases throughout the season. Full details
Save on Your Booking
Multibuy Discounts – save up to 40%
Under-18s – £6 tickets
14–25s – discounts for Young Barbican Members
Groups of 10+ – save at least 20%
Barbican Access Members – free companion tickets
Full details below
Experience the unrestrained power of American gospel music, combined with the symphonic sound of the LSO and a chorus of over 250 voices from across the London community, curated and conducted by André J Thomas.
The Programme
Hear enlivening music by some of the most impactful gospel artists writing and performing in the US today, with songs by Donald Lawrence and Ricky Dillard alongside ‘spiritual settings that express an explosion of joy’ by André J Thomas. Plus landmark gospel anthems from the 20th century, including Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass and Alma Basel Androzzo’s If I Can Help Somebody. ‘The music is all about hope for a new world’, says Thomas. ‘The atmosphere will go back and forth between up-beat and meditative, but always extrovert.’
With this concert, André J Thomas brings a growing trend in the US over to the UK – taking iconic gospel music originally written for choirs and smaller groups, and putting them in a fresh, bold symphonic envelope. ‘Part of my role as Associate Artist is to find and create arrangements that work for the LSO – I’m like a detective tracking everything down!’
In their own short set, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir will use a traditional choir-plus-small-band line-up to perform gospel songs ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, including the spiritual Ride On King Jesus and Bishop Paul Morton’s version of We Shall Overcome.
The Performers
LSO Associate Artist André J Thomas is a veritable expert in American gospel music. He is joined by an all-star line-up of familiar faces from previous LSO gospel concerts – Lurine Cato, NaGuanda Nobles, Christian Mark Gibbs and Brandon Boyd – plus featured group from London, the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir. Over 250 singers from across London in the LSO Community Voices and London Symphony Chorus also lend their voices to an uplifting evening of music.
Gospel music does not apologise. It comes straight out, fiery and quick. It’s like lighting a firecracker – you start with a sizzle and that’s it. Every section of this concert will have a ‘pow’.
André J Thomas
Header Image © Mark Allan
Read: André J Thomas introduces the concert
‘I hope that people will leave feeling uplifted … I want people to feel better than they did when they walked through the door. If we do our job, they may even remember a tune that helps them.’
Booking and Discounts
Booking Your Tickets
Online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk
By phone on +44 20 7870 2500 (Monday to Friday 12–5.30pm)
In person at the Barbican Centre
£4 booking fee per transaction when booking online or by phone
Refunds and Exchanges
If you can no longer user your tickets, you can exchange them for another LSO concert or Barbican credit voucher (valid for six months). Please inform the Box Office at least 24 hours before the performance (two weeks for group bookings). A per-ticket administration fee applies for all exchange services.
Questions About Your Booking?
Contact the Barbican Box Office at tickets@barbican.org.uk.
Visit the Barbican website for conditions of sale.
The LSO reserves the right to change artists or programmes if necessary. If the event is cancelled, all bookers will receive a refund. All discounts are subject to availability and may not be combined. Box office calls may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance or training purposes.
Multibuy Discounts
Book 2 to 3 concerts and save 10%
Book 4 to 7 concerts and save 20%
Book 8 to 11 concerts and save 30%
Book 12 or more concerts and save 40%
Plus retain your discount for any later bookings within the season.
Multibuy Discounts: Full Details
Wildcards
£12 or £16 (£10 or £15 for Half Six Fix concerts), plus booking fee. You are guaranteed entry to the concert but you won’t know your exact seat until the evening of the performance. Will you be lucky and bag a top-price seat in the stalls? Find out more about Wildcards.
Young People
£6 tickets for under-18s. Discounted tickets are available for selected LSO concerts for 14–25s through Young Barbican, and for full-time students through Student Pulse London.
Groups of 10+
Save 20%, or 30% when booking two or more concerts in the same season, plus additional benefits. Find out more about group booking.
Access Members
Members of the Barbican’s Access Scheme can book wheelchair places priced at the lowest price for that event and book a free companion seat. Join the Barbican Access Scheme.
Your Visit and Access
Getting to the Barbican
We are based at the Barbican Centre in the City of London. The main entrance to the Barbican is on Silk Street.
What to Expect
From the concert experience to venue facilities, find out what to expect from an LSO concert at the Barbican.
Accessibility
Find maps and guides, and join the Barbican Access Membership Scheme to let us know of your requirements and book access tickets.
